Chapter 12:
Guidance, Nurturing, And Believing
Meanwhile, unaware and barely caring of Twilight's plight, Luna sat cross-legged in the training hall. Numerous candles were lit all around her as she meditated.
"Inner peace," She exhaled, trying to achieve the concept. Yet, her mind remained wracked with worry. Her indignation for her son. Her frustration at Twilight. That odd flapping sound in the background.
"In…In… Inner Peace…" Luna forced herself to breathe.
But it wasn't working. Her son deserved better than this. Twilight wasn't the Celestial Warrior. Who was making that flapping noise? Her ears flicked; hopefully, she could silence one of her problems.
"Will whoever is making that flapping sound quiet down?!" Luna demanded into the stillness of the training room. For a brief, shining moment, they obeyed. The flapping sound diminished. Luna started to return to her meditation.
"Inner…" Luna started to say, only for the flapping to be replaced by a yelp, and the THUD of a body colliding with the ground. Sighing in frustration, Luna stood, ready to chastise whoever had interrupted her.
But the sight of Derpy shaking melted snow off her fur brought a chuckle of relief from the dark alicorn master.
"I stopped that flapping sound. I just don't know what went wrong," Derpy mumbled, as Luna crossed over to her.
Luna was actually relieved to see Derby. With everything not going her way with the unicorn this was what she needed.
"Derpy, excellent. I could use some good news right now," Luna greeted, dusting off the Pegasus.
'Especially after the day I've had' Her thoughts admitted.
The wall-eyed Pegasus opened her mouth to speak, before her ears flattened.
"Oh, uh… good news?" Derpy squeaked.
Luna tilted her head at Derpy's sudden hesitation, "Is my son safe?" She asked.
"Uh..." Derpy whimpered hesitantly.
The sun was halfway over the horizon when Luna found her sister/master. Celestia stood next to the sacred peach tree. Her breathing was steady, yet slightly ragged, and her hair was almost gone completely gray. Celestia's ears twitched, hearing the furious flapping of her sister's wings. Always a way to know when Luna was upset.
"Celestia! Celestia! I have…It's…it's very terrible-terrible news!" Luna gasped, skidding to a stop before her.
"Oh, Luna. There is just news. There is no good or bad," Celestia said like she was still a little girl. But when she turned to Luna, she saw the tears brimming in Luna's eyes.
"Celestia, your vision…Your vision came true. My s… Tai Lung has broken out of Tartarus, He's on his way here!" Luna admitted.
Celestia stood frozen for a moment. Her serene expression faded. She knew this was going to happen, but she hated seeing Luna upset. And sadly, she knew it would be even worse in a few minutes.
"That… is bad news. If you do not believe the Celestial Warrior can stop him," Celestia admitted, before her smile returned.
Luna started to protest, before hanging her head in defeat.
"The Unicorn?! Celestia, I don't want him defeated! I just want my son back! And that purple unicorn can't do either! Celestia you know that I don't try to doubt the things you say but… she isn't the Celestial Warrior! She wasn't even supposed to be here. It was an accident!" Luna said, as her ear flicked and she glared up at her sister.
But Celestia shook her head and said, "Luna. There are no accidents,".
The fight drained from Luna's face as she settled against the peach tree's trunk.
"Yes, I know. You've said that before. Twice," Luna admitted.
Celestia chuckled, "Well that was no accident, either," She almost sang, despite the tired sound of her voice. Once again, if Luna wasn't frustrated, she might have found it odd and all the gray in her mane. There had been some in there before, but not as much as now.
"Thrice," Luna commented, rolling her eyes and holding up three fingers
"My sister, Twilight will never fulfill her destiny - nor you yours - until you let go of the illusion of control," Celestia said in a mothering but tired tone, walking towards Luna.
"Illusion?" Luna almost demanded as her ears flicked.
"Yes. Take a look at this tree, Luna. I can't make it blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before it's time," Celestia confirmed, looking up at the tree, and at the fading blossoms across its trunk.
"But there are things we can control. I can control when the fruit will fall!" Luna insisted with a kick, sending peaches raining down among them both.
Luna was cut off when a peach landed on her head. Celestia giggled as Luna seized the offending peach and threw it into the air.
"And I can control…" Luna growled, leaping into the air and exploding the peach into juice, pulp, and seed. Grabbing the seed, Luna rocketed to the ground, and punched into the ground, creating a small hole.
"Where to plant the seed! That is no illusion… sister!" Luna said as she threw the seed into the hole she had just punched in.
"Ah yes. But no matter what you do, that seed will turn into a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange tree, but you will get a peach," Celestia admitted, limping her way over to the hole and the seed that is haphazardly thrown in.
"But a peach cannot bring my son back!" Luna insisted, frustration and grief entering her tone.
"Maybe it can. If you are willing to guide it… to nurture it... To believe in it," Celestia offered, bending down and gently burying the seed in the dirt.
"How?! How?! I need your help, sister." Luna pleaded, almost sounding like a child.
But her ears perked in confusion; Celestia was practically leaning on her staff. Her hair had lost all its ethereal colors. Now she was confused. She had so busy lately that when she did see her sister, she hadn't noticed any changes in her appearance, but now that she did notice it scared her.
"You just… need… to believe. Promise, me, Luna… promise me you will believe…," Celestia insisted, though she almost looked ready to fall on her feet. The sun was getting lower, paving the way for the night.
"I…I will…try," Luna promised.
"Good, my time has come," Celestia whispered, looking down at her withering form with a sigh, like she was disappointed her body had to give out on her now.
"Impossible! You're immortal!" Luna insisted.
"The spell I used to free you from the grasp of Nightmare Moon…It may have taken your magic… However, to cast it… I had to give up my immortality. But now… you must… continue your journey… without me," Celestia said, as she lifted her staff, and placed it into Luna's hands.
"Celestia, what are you-? But-" Luna whimpered, tears spilling from her eyes.
But as the setting sun tipped over the horizon, it gave one last glow, like a flare of light. Celestia stepped back to the ledge as peach blossoms floated towards the flash of light, almost carrying Celestia away and towards the vanishing sun.
"Celestia! You're all I have left! Please don't leave me!" Luna screamed, stumbling after her sister. It was as if she was trying to grab Celestia and hold her in the mortal realm, maybe even share some of her life energy with her sister. But both actions were impossible.
As the flash of light faded - and Celestia with it – she smiled faintly at her younger sister.
"You must… believe," Celestia whispered, her voice like the wind.
"Celestia!" Luna screamed.
But then the flash faded, The sun sets, and The peach blossoms blew away in the breeze. And Celestia was gone. Luna fell to her knees, clutching her sister's staff. And she wept. For now, it was not enough for her to have lost a son. She had lost both a sister and a mother figure as well. And that broke her heart into a million pieces.